Safety suspension gear for pit cages, hoists, and the like



March 17, 1925.

T. MORRIS SAFETY SUSPENSION GEAR FOR PIT CAGES, HOISTS, AND THE LIKE Fidl w Patented Mar. 17, 1925.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

THOMAS MORRIS, OF OSWESTRY, ENGLAND.

SAFETY SUSPENSION GEAR FOR PIT CAGES, HOISTS, AND THE LIKE. I:

Application filed November 21, 1923. Serial No. 676,122.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS MORRIS, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, 'residing at Smithfield House, Oswestry, in the county ofSalop, England, have invented and other buildings.

More particularly the invention relates to suspension gear of the typein which the cage or hoist is provided transversely with a pair ofoppositely sliding bolts, which bolts have flexible connections to thewinding rope so as to be normally contracted towards each other by theweight of the cage or hoist and against spring pressure, whilst beingadapted for an expanslve or outward movement under the action of saidspring device or devices in case of the tension of the flexibleconnections being removed by breakage or failure of the winding rope,the bolts by such outward expansive movement being adapted for automaticlocking engagement with racks or equivalent guides extending from top tobottom of the shaft on opposite sides of the cage or hoist, to therebyprevent or arrest the descent of the cage or hoist in case of suchbreakage or failure ofthe wind ing rope.

According to the present invention the pair of oppositely slidingtransverse bolts are provided both on the top and on the bottom of thecage or hoist, the upper pair of bolts having a chain connection to thewinding rope, and the relative disposition of the lower pair of boltsbeing controlled, in accordance with that of the upper pair, byinterconnecting shaft and link or lever devices. The spring pressureupon the sliding bolts is provided by blade springs, the pair of springsbeing advantageously of bowed or arcuate formation, disposed in oppositefa cial relation and hinged together at their opposite extremities, withthe spacedapart inner extremities of the bolts abutting against thesides of the respective bowed springs.

In order that this invention may be clear- 1y understood and readilycarried into pracnice, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing,which is an elevation in perspective of my improved safety suspensiongear as applied to a conventional form of pit cage.

In a convenient embodiment of the inven-' tion the cage or hoist 1 isslidable vertically between a pairof upright guide pillars 2 extendingin parallel relation from top to bottom of the shaft on opposite sidesof the cage, each guide pillar being of'substantially rectangularcross-sectional form, with a series of uniformly, spaced transverserectan gular apertures or slots 3 therein. Each guide pillar 2 isadvantageouslyof a builtup construction, comprising a pair of flat sidebar members maintained in spaced relation by a series of intermediaterectangular .blocks 4, which blocks are also longitudinally anduniformly spaced to provide said transverse apertures or slots 3' in thepillar.

On the top of the cage 1 is mounted centrally and transversely, in aposition directly between the upright guide pillars 2 in the shaft, afixed channel member 5 openat the ends and top, the opposite sideflanges of this .channel member having raised central portions 6 in eachof which is provideda rectangular longitudinal slot 7, these raisedportions 6 serving-also to support a transversely spaced pair of sheavesor rollers 8 rotatably mounted on pins or bolts 9 passing through thefront and rear raised flange portions. Throughthese longitudinal slots 7of the flanges, in a direction from front to rear of the cage, areassembled a pair of arcuate blade springs 10 disposed in opposite facialrelation and hinged together at' their opposite extremities, the hingepins 11 being fixed into a pair of bearing blocks 12 mounted on thetop'of the cage atfront and rear respectively, so that the springs 10are supported at the desired elevation clear of the running surface ofthe channel mem- Withinopposite extremities of the chan nel member 5,ona polished running surface pair of pivoted shoes 16 are conneoted theopposite extremities of a suspension chain 1.7 of suitable construction,this chain 17 passing beneath the guide sheaves or rollers 8 of thechannel member, and then passing upwardly so as ,to be looped through-aterminal ring 18 of the winding rope 19, the arrangement being such,tllfl't the cage 1 is normally suspended by the chain 17, with thesliding bolts 13 contracted towards each other, against the ou ward prssu of the thenicontracted springs 10,50 as to ;be clear of the uprightguide pillars 2 in the ;s hafit, h st n lease of /-breakage or tailureof the winding ,rope 194 the tension of the Suspended chain 17 isrelaxed mid-the bolts 1.3 are instantly moved outwardly in oppositedirections, iby expansive pressure of the springs 10, to therebyinstantly and automatically engage within the nearest pair of aperturesor slots in the guide pillars, thereby prementing or arresting :thedownward movement v0 f the ,cage. 'The vcage is fitted with stops 20 tolimit the outward monemfint of the slidingbolts and ,with

pairs of projeotinggnide fingers 21 cooperating with sthe sides ottheupright guide pillars 2 to ensure exact- ,a-lignment of the channelmember v.5 with the guide pillars. he extremiti 'q t e lengi ndin ot 7in the cha n fl nge e se se v e ep to {limit the outward expansiremovement of thesprings 10.

pai o shor enxiliery. su pens on i qp 2 e 1 ve18 co nected to the cornero the age, "each o these ux li ry rop b ing oosely l op d th ough thetermina rin 18 of the winding r pe, and th e gth of these aux l a yropes -ng' s arrange a to pr vent nnd ompression o th sprin vice wh hsuspens on h i-n 1 and ric o -s o n) c op ra ngwit sa olts.

l dingi olts :1 .a-re n norm l operat eneat t sage .1 mounted eentr l yand tran v r ey mo or s similar vfixe henne imemberfifi, having -similwppofiite pairofsliding bolts 25%, and either with {or W t out a imilaintermediat sp ings d The cage is also fitted in it'ront ,a-nd Erear,towards opposite sides respectively, with a pair of rnprightvshafts 25,rotatablymounted in fixed'bearings 26 on the eage eaoh ro tatable shaft25 carrying at its upper lexremity :o rnd us' ink r lever 2 having a vespind1e28 and swive pi 0m1ection;29 to he iupper slid ng bo1t=13 .etits me peetive side .-o;f:;th. cage, .a diear yinget itslower remi y a mle; adiu link 0, e e 30 pas ing t r ugh i -s 3'1 t e s d fl g of thelower channel member 23 and having a swivel pin oonnegtion 32 to thelower sliding bolt '24 at s respective side of the cage. By this meansthe lower pair of slidnig spring lock bolts 24' are automatically conrolled in aq ordanee with the Positions and movements of the upper pairof bolts 13 thereby ensuring simultaneous and ,unifo m notion [of the enr s ri s of sliding p ing locking bolts- 7 a What I cle m eas myinvention end desire to secur y Le t l3ntent l s Satety suspension geartor cages end.

hoists, compnising in oomhinetion, aGpai-r of recta-ngularly napert uredguide pillars exending from top to ibottom of the shaft on opposite sidsof henage er hoist, an open channel mQmhe-r tiered transversely on the,

top ofithecageoriheist in a posi ondireot y between said guid p llars, a1 i1 of rectangular bolts slidably mounted within ops po its ext emitieso sa d eleenne membe an eagee b with sai {g de p llars, s id anne membehmeeg entee .Pei of rec ang a ongitudinal s ot in it new te sid fl n es,a hai o emue e lede' sp ine i pesed in ennesite etaeie rela ion nd in edwea he eh i Opp site e remi es ppe edihq zen e y'within. d

slots s a to abu eeeinst th spee nne t 1nitia bel s, and fem onne tio btween said bo t end th win Pain iipn ghfis mft mfi mh y.lilqu te -toadsonposi e Side i ,fi iqnt an wree 0f h cage 0 h st and iradi sl r @Qn won be w en th upper and wer 1?l@1.1 ies f said-shafts endiih reispe iiuppe nd o e bolts, w r by th rela iv ep0- sition ofi h owe heir of boltis nt olled mower aus w th i hi lt ill epe l?illl;

In w tne hereof l hav -hereent se my I Y

